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H. 5399
STATUS INFORMATION
House Resolution
Sponsors: Rep. White
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\25158ac12.docx
Introduced in the House on June 7, 2012
Adopted by the House on June 7, 2012
Summary: Pain treatment
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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6/7/2012 House Introduced and adopted (House Journal-page 106)
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
TO RAISE AWARENESS REGARDING THE TREATMENT OF PAIN AS PART OF OVERALL DISEASE MANAGEMENT AND TO RECOGNIZE THE BENEFITS TO SOUTH CAROLINIANS THAT MAY BE GAINED BY LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ASSIST IN REDUCING BARRIERS TO TIMELY PAIN TREATMENT, IN OBTAINING REIMBURSEMENT FOR PAIN TREATMENT AND PRESERVING THE PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP.
Whereas, recent estimates from the Institute of Medicine suggest that pain has a far greater impact on health and productivity in America than was previously thought; and
Whereas, the American Pain Foundation states that acute and chronic pain costs more than one hundred billion dollars annually in medical claims, disability payments, lost wages, and lost productivity; and
Whereas, chronic pain affects at least one hundred ten million American adults, more that the total affected by heart disease, cancer, and diabetes combined; and
Whereas, the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that women, minorities, and the poor disproportionately report pain that is more frequent and more severe compared to the general population; and
Whereas, inadequate pain relief can impact quality of life and have physical, psychological, and social implications, such as reduced mobility and a compromised immune system, and can interfere with eating, concentration, sleeping, or social interaction; and
Whereas, the World Health Organization reports that people living in chronic pain are four times more likely to suffer from depression or anxiety; and
Whereas, barriers that hinder access to care, such as step therapy, fail first, and prior authorization interferes with the physician-patient relationship; and
Whereas, physicians often do not know the criteria whereby a requested treatment will be approved by a health plan, which can potentially delay or limit access to needed treatments; and
Whereas, studies show that, in addition to limiting treatment for patients, step treatment boosts costs by increasing utilization of health care services; and
Whereas, research also shows that step therapy and prior authorization increase the administrative burden on physicians, medical staff, and pharmacists. Managing the prescription drug benefit and obtaining prior authorization tend to be the most time-intensive components of administering insurance; and
Whereas, in light of this research and these statistics, it would be beneficial for the House of Representatives to consider legislation that would secure timely pain treatment and reimbursement from health care providers, preserve the physician-patient relationship, secure access to medicines, and eliminate barriers to care for pain patients in health care-delivery models for citizens in South Carolina; and
Whereas, in formulating such legislation guidance is readily available from health care professionals who are experts and treat pain on a routine basis in South Carolina, such as the Pain Society of the Carolinas, the South Carolina Medical Association, the South Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, the South Carolina Orthopedic Association, the members of the American College of Rheumatology, and the South Carolina Podiatric Medical Association; patient organizations, such as the American Cancer Society and the Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina; the South Carolina Nurses Association; the South Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants; the South Carolina Business Coalition on Health; and the South Carolina Hospital Association. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, raise awareness regarding the treatment of pain as part of overall disease management and recognize the benefits to South Carolinians that may be gained by legislation that would assist in reducing barriers to timely pain treatment, in obtaining reimbursement for pain treatment and in preserving the physician-patient relationship.
This web page was last updated on June 20, 2012 at 1:17 PM